[CLUE-Tech] PHP/XML and CDATA Woes: The Answer

[Jed S. Baer]

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 07:11:10 -0700
dhawkins at cdrgts.com (Dale K. Hawkins) wrote:

> OK, let's say I am trying to convince someone to utilize XML for their
> website creation.  What are the main selling points for the added
> hassle and transformations?

Actually, I can't really say that XML is, by itself, a hassle. There are
many benefits, including human-readability, and portability. The hassle
comes from poorly/incompletely documented software.

I will say that if I had first used Stig's example PHP parsing code, which
did nothing but produce HTML formatted output showing the XML document, I
would have been further along earlier. Silly me, I just figured I could
write the code I needed right off.

I could well be that parsers for other languages work better, are easier
to use, etc.

In the end though, dealing with XML isn't any more difficult than dealing
with a relational database. (Particularly one such as MySQL, which doesn't
do many things which one comes to get used to working with, for example,
Oracle.)

> Is there a good site that would offer a good explanation and cut
> through the hype/cruft.  Many of the sites seem to say how XML is the
> greatest thing since the invention of the space bar, but none really
> say why.

I'm afraid I can't help there. I spent a lot of time following links
around the web, without finding what I would consider to be well-written
documentation for the "english-speaking programmer", i.e. someone who
isn't "up" on the XML (err, SGML?) jargon.

jed
-- 
http://s88369986.onlinehome.us/freedomsight/

... it is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could someday
facilitate a police state. -- Bruce Schneier